What reasons can you file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits in New York. My job situation is complicated and I want to make sure I have valid grounds before filing with NYS Department of Labor. Can someone explain what reasons actually qualify you for UI benefits? I've heard different things from friends but want to know the official requirements.
10 comments
Join the conversation
Mary Bates
The main qualifying reasons for NYS Department of Labor unemployment are: laid off due to lack of work, fired for reasons other than misconduct, quit for good cause (like unsafe working conditions or harassment), or reduced hours/partial unemployment. You also need to have earned enough wages in your base period and be able and available to work.
0 coins
Oliver Brown
•What counts as 'good cause' for quitting? My supervisor has been making my life miserable but I'm not sure if that's enough.
0 coins
Clay blendedgen
You can also file if your employer violated labor laws, changed your job duties significantly without agreement, or if you had to quit due to domestic violence situations. NYS Department of Labor is pretty thorough about investigating these cases though.
0 coins
Ayla Kumar
•yeah they definitely investigate everything, took them 3 weeks to approve my claim when I got laid off
0 coins
Lorenzo McCormick
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific situation, I used claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent. They have this system that calls you back when an agent is available instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me get clarity on my eligibility.
0 coins
Carmella Popescu
•Is that legitimate? I've been trying to call for days and keep getting disconnected.
0 coins
Lorenzo McCormick
•Yeah it's real, they just help you get connected to the regular NYS Department of Labor phone line but without the endless waiting. Worth trying if you need to talk to someone about your case.
0 coins
Kai Santiago
DON'T FILE if you were fired for misconduct, quit without good cause, or are on strike. NYS Department of Labor will deny your claim and you might have to wait longer to reapply. Make sure you understand your situation first!
0 coins
Oliver Brown
•How do they define misconduct exactly? I was written up a few times for being late but nothing major.
0 coins
Lim Wong
my cousin filed when she got her hours cut from full time to part time and still qualified for partial benefits, so thats another option if your not completely unemployed
0 coins